Recommended Motion(s):
Motion to excuse ------------ from the meeting Passed with a motion by Board Member #1 and a second by Board Member #2.

Action(s):

Motion Passed:

Motion to excuse Mike Blecha from the meeting. Passed with a motion by Kevin League and a second by Mr. Mike Lutz.

Brad Baney: Yea

Mike Blecha: Absent

Jason Frederick: Yea

Amy Haines: Yea

Kevin League: Yea

Kent Lorens: Yea

Mr. Mike Lutz: Yea

Sandy Noffsinger: Yea

Shad Stamm: Yea

No Action(s) have been added to this Agenda Item.

2. Open meetings law

Agenda Item Type:
Information Item

Rationale:

The Board of Education reserves the right to enter into Closed/Executive Session for 1) the protection of public interest or 2) the prevention of needless injury to the reputation of an individual, and the individual has not requested a public meeting. When making a motion to enter into Closed/Executive Session, the member making such a request should be as specific as possible keeping the previously listed stipulation in consideration.

If the Board is in agreement, a motion maybe to enter into Closed/Executive Session to 1) discuss a personnel matter, or 2) for the prevention of needless injury to the reputation of the individual, or 3) to discuss litigation and for the protection of the public interest.

Action concerning matters discussed in Closed/Executive Session will be acted upon in open session

3. Awards and Recognitions

Agenda Item Type:
Action Item

4. Public comment

Agenda Item Type:
Information Item

Rationale:

Welcome to the Dundy County Stratton Public Schools Board of Education Meeting. The Board welcomes citizens to attend board meetings to become acquainted with the programs and operations of the district. Members of the public are also encouraged to share their ideas and opinions with the Board during the agenda item labeled “Public Items”. Comments or questions from the audience at any other time during the meeting except for the agenda item “Public Items” will out of necessity be declared out of order.

The Nebraska Open Meetings Act prevents the board from speaking to a matter that is not on the agenda. Please understand that the board may be unable to address your issue during the meeting. It is not permissible for the board to comment on items not listed for the protection of the public’s right to know and participate in the discussion of items that do come before the board and stated appropriately in the meeting agenda.

During this agenda item “Public Items” we ask that you abide by the following rules:

Public Comment Protocol and Procedures

Anyone wishing to speak to the board on specific agenda items or on other topics relevant to board business must complete a Public Comment Request Card and submit it to the Board President prior to the opening of the meeting. The public will only be recognized and their comments heard at Item “Public Items” on the board agenda. The total time allotted for the public comment will not exceed thirty minutes and each member of the public will be allotted not more than five minutes to address the Board. If a group wishes to speak, please designate one spokesperson for the group.

Please state your name and the topic you are addressing before you begin.

Speakers are asked to direct their questions and comments to the chair. A member of the Board of Education or the Superintendent may direct clarifying questions to the chair, but the board will not under any circumstance enter into a debate with any the member of the public.

Speakers may offer objective criticism of district operations and programs, but the Board would encourage members of the public to address complaints concerning individual district personnel through the proper chain of command. The chair may direct the member of the public to the appropriate means to address concerns brought before the Board; however, the board will not respond with action but will take comments under advisement and direct the comments to the appropriate staff member to address outside of the board meeting.

Please remember that is a public meeting for the conduct of business of the Dundy County Stratton Public School District. Offensive language, personal attacks and hostile conduct will not be tolerated. You should further be advised that there is no legal protection for any comments that are made.

If any district meeting of a Class I, II, III, IV, or VI school district any person conducts himself or herself in a disorderly manner and persists in such conduct after notice by the president or person presiding, the president or person presiding may order such person to withdraw from the meeting and, if the person refuses, may order any person or persons to take such person into custody until the meeting is adjourned.

Any person who refuses to withdraw from such meeting on being so ordered as provided in section 79-570 or who willfully disturbs such meeting shall be guilty of a Class V misdemeanor.

5. Consent Agenda

Agenda Item Type:
Consent Agenda

Recommended Motion(s):
Motion to approve the consent agenda as presented with the exception of removing items _______ Passed with a motion by Board Member #1 and a second by Board Member #2.

Action(s):

Motion Passed:

Motion to approve the consent agenda as presented. Passed with a motion by Brad Baney and a second by Kevin League.

Brad Baney: Yea

Mike Blecha: Absent

Jason Frederick: Yea

Amy Haines: Nay

Kevin League: Yea

Kent Lorens: Yea

Mr. Mike Lutz: Yea

Sandy Noffsinger: Yea

Shad Stamm: Yea

No Action(s) have been added to this Agenda Item.

5.A. Verification of publication and notice

Agenda Item Type:
Consent Item

Rationale:
To verify that notice of the meeting was given by publication in the Benkelman Post, a legal newspaper for Dundy County Stratton and by written notice to each member of the board, the designated method of giving notice

Recommended Motion(s):
Motion to verify the publication and notice of the meeting was properly given Passed with a motion by Board Member #1 and a second by Board Member #2.

5.B. Adoption of the agenda

Agenda Item Type:
Consent Item

Rationale:
To adopt the agenda of this meeting. The board reserves the right to change the order of items within the agenda.

Recommended Motion(s):
Motion to adopt the agenda Passed with a motion by Board Member #1 and a second by Board Member #2.

Recommended Motion(s):
Motion to approve the bills as presented in the amount of $462,981.81 in the General Fund, $25,414.51 in the activity fund, and $13,304.17 in the lunch fund. Passed with a motion by Board Member #1 and a second by Board Member #2.

The negotiations team has tentatively reached an agreement with the certificated staff for the 2017-2017 contract year.

Recommended Motion(s):
Motion to approve the certificated employees negotiated package as presented Passed with a motion by Board Member #1 and a second by Board Member #2.

Action(s):

Motion Passed:

Motion to approve the certificated employees negotiated package as presented Passed with a motion by Jason Frederick and a second by Sandy Noffsinger.

Brad Baney: Nay

Mike Blecha: Absent

Jason Frederick: Yea

Amy Haines: Yea

Kevin League: Yea

Kent Lorens: Nay

Mr. Mike Lutz: Nay

Sandy Noffsinger: Yea

Shad Stamm: Yea

No Action(s) have been added to this Agenda Item.

6.C.1. Motion to go into executive session

Agenda Item Type:
Action Item

Rationale:

Board President: Is there a motion for the board to enter closed session to discuss administrative negotiations because it is in the school district’s interest, to prevent needless injury to someone’s reputation and the public’s best interest to discuss this in closed session.

Board Member # 1: So moved.

Board Member #2: I second the motion.

Discussion:

Roll Call Vote:

Board President: The board has adopted a motion to enter closed session to discuss the negotiations because it is in the school district’s best interest, to prevent needless injury to someone’s reputation and and the public’s best interest to discuss this in closed session The board will limit its discussion to this issue.

[Record time board enters closed session.]

[When the Board has completed the closed session, make a motion to return to open session, get a second, discuss, and take a roll call vote. Record the time that the closed session ends.]

Recommended Motion(s):
Motion to enter closed session to discuss administrative negotiations because it is in the school district’s interest, to prevent needless injury to someone’s reputation and the public’s best interest to discuss this in closed session. Passed with a motion by Board Member #1 and a second by Board Member #2.

Action(s):

Motion Passed:

Motion to enter closed session at 6:43 to discuss administrative negotiations because it is in the school district’s interest, to prevent needless injury to someone’s reputation and the public’s best interest to discuss this in closed session. Passed with a motion by Kent Lorens and a second by Amy Haines.

Brad Baney: Yea

Mike Blecha: Absent

Jason Frederick: Yea

Amy Haines: Yea

Kevin League: Yea

Kent Lorens: Yea

Mr. Mike Lutz: Yea

Sandy Noffsinger: Yea

Shad Stamm: Yea

No Action(s) have been added to this Agenda Item.

6.C.2. Motion to enter open session

Agenda Item Type:
Action Item

Recommended Motion(s):
Motion to enter open session Passed with a motion by Board Member #1 and a second by Board Member #2.

Action(s):

Motion Passed:

President Stamm declared the meeting out of executive session at 7:31. Motion to enter open session Passed with a motion by Kevin League and a second by Amy Haines.

Brad Baney: Yea

Mike Blecha: Absent

Jason Frederick: Yea

Amy Haines: Yea

Kevin League: Yea

Kent Lorens: Nay

Mr. Mike Lutz: Yea

Sandy Noffsinger: Yea

Shad Stamm: Yea

No Action(s) have been added to this Agenda Item.

6.D. Audit report

Agenda Item Type:
Action Item

Rationale:

During this item we will review the annual audit findings with the board.

Recommended Motion(s):
Motion to acknowledge receipt of the 2015-2016 statutorily required audit Passed with a motion by Board Member #1 and a second by Board Member #2.

Action(s):

Motion Passed:

Motion to acknowledge receipt of the 2015-2016 statutorily required audit. Passed with a motion by Jason Frederick and a second by Kevin League.

Brad Baney: Yea

Mike Blecha: Absent

Jason Frederick: Yea

Amy Haines: Yea

Kevin League: Yea

Kent Lorens: Yea

Mr. Mike Lutz: Yea

Sandy Noffsinger: Yea

Shad Stamm: Yea

No Action(s) have been added to this Agenda Item.

6.E. NSAA statewide proposals

Agenda Item Type:
Action Item

Rationale:

Agenda item to allow for further review of the NSAA legislative proposals, particularly those which passed in districts other than District V that will be voted on at January NSAA District meetings.

6.F. ESU 15 Essential Learnings

Agenda Item Type:
Action Item

Rationale:

The ESU staff development team has begun the process of identifying essential learning's in the various state standards. They are making that template and the accompanying tracking mechanism available to schools n the unit. They have saved all of our staffs a ton of time. Time was the number one issue raised by our staff and others in meetings with ESU staff in relation to getting this process done, curriculum redone and implementing the new and revised standards.

Goals:

The district shall begin a process of curriculum alignment and mapping and develop an essential learnings curriculum in all state assessed areas.

The district shall participate in the Professional Learning Communities process undertaken by ESU 15 and shall support those activities which support this process.

The District will implement programs and curriculum with the goal of improving NeSA test scores in Reading and Writing K-12

6.G. Board member insurance eligibility

Agenda Item Type:
Action Item

Rationale:

There is a provision in law and EHA/Blue Cross guidelines that allows board members to purchase the health insurance provided to the teachers by the district. It is now also possible to pick a separate plan from what we provide teachers and form your own pool. There is a minimum number of participants for this form your own pool option. Board members must pay their own premium and I believe they write the check directly to Blue Cross. The other caveat is that you can only sign up during 'open enrollment' periods. Right now the only one I know of is scheduled for August when new teachers are signed up. This will require board approval and I believe the adoption of a policy will also be necessitated. We must also report quarterly at a board meeting the board members who have elected such coverage.

At the meeting we can review the policy plans, determine if the board is interested in offering this opportunity and find out how many of you would be interested.

You can all thank Jason.

6.H. Approval of District goals

Agenda Item Type:
Action Item

Rationale:

The potential goals we came up with at the meeting on the 8th are attached. We will go through a process to try to select 3 or 4 to have become our focus.

Recommended Motion(s):
Motion to adopt the board goals as developed Passed with a motion by Board Member #1 and a second by Board Member #2.

Action(s):

Motion Passed:

Motion to develop board goals in the three areas of community relations/career pathways, increasing cash reserves/budget efficiency, and staff development/professional growth. Passed with a motion by Sandy Noffsinger and a second by Amy Haines.

Brad Baney: Yea

Mike Blecha: Absent

Jason Frederick: Yea

Amy Haines: Yea

Kevin League: Yea

Kent Lorens: Yea

Mr. Mike Lutz: Yea

Sandy Noffsinger: Yea

Shad Stamm: Yea

No Action(s) have been added to this Agenda Item.

6.I. Approval of Superintendent Evaluation and contract extension

Agenda Item Type:
Action Item

Rationale:

The superintendent evaluation has been completed. The goals developed in the previous agenda item will be inserted into the document and my performance goals area also attached.

Recommended Motion(s):
Motion to approve the superintendent evaluation as developed and the 1 year extension of the superintendent contract Passed with a motion by Board Member #1 and a second by Board Member #2.

Action(s):

Motion Passed:

Motion to approve the superintendent evaluation as developed and the 1 year extension of the superintendent contract Passed with a motion by Kevin League and a second by Kent Lorens.

Brad Baney: Yea

Mike Blecha: Absent

Jason Frederick: Yea

Amy Haines: Nay

Kevin League: Yea

Kent Lorens: Yea

Mr. Mike Lutz: Yea

Sandy Noffsinger: Yea

Shad Stamm: Yea

No Action(s) have been added to this Agenda Item.

7. Reports

Agenda Item Type:
Action Item

7.A. Technology report

Agenda Item Type:
Information Item

7.B. Elementary principal report

Agenda Item Type:
Information Item

Rationale:

December 12, 2016

Christmas Concerts

Stratton Elementary had their Christmas concert on December 1st. Benkelman Elementary will have their Christmas concert Thursday, December 15th.

Holiday Dinner

Stratton had their Holiday Dinner on December 2nd and Benkelman Elementary had a Thanksgiving dinner on Nov. 9th. Several guests joined students to enjoy the holiday meals.

CPR Class

CPR Classes were held at the Benkelman Elementary Nov. 4th and Nov. 18th. 13 staff members attended the classes and are now certified in CPR. Thank you to the staff, Ellen Pottoff, Tammi Cawthra and Brett Palmer for making it a success.

Congratulations to Brittney Gauthier! She will graduate with her master’s degree on the 16th of December.

FBLA hosted a credit presentation for seniors on November 16th. Students were able to hear about many great aspects of credit that apply to them as they move onto the next stage of their lives after graduation.

Teacher In-service was held on November 18th. Topics included English Language Arts standards/learning essentials and school improvement.

A Public One-Act Performance was held on November 29th. Several parents attended and all 7-12th grade students.

Hour of Code Activity on Dec. 6h included all 7-12 students. Students are completing the activities through next week.

Annual staff evaluations are progressing. Several walkthroughs have been completed as well.

In-service is planned this week to work on school improvement, assessment preparation, and finals week plans.

ACA update: We are continuing to try to keep up to date on this. There is new reporting this year. But the time and attendance software along with the financial package are making it much more efficient.

NASB Video: https://vimeo.com/194260783

7.F. Board and committee reports

Agenda Item Type:
Information Item

7.F.1. Board information

Agenda Item Type:
Information Item

Rationale:

Board Information

December 12, 2016

Upcoming meetings:

ESU 15/16 Workshop: North Platte, Jan. 25 at 4:00

NASB Legislative issues: Lincoln, Jan. 22-23

Education Forum: Kearney, Feb. 5-9

NRCSA Legislative update: Lincoln, Feb. 22

NSBA National Conference: Denver, Co, March 25-27

Let Crissy or Stacey know if you wish to sign up to attend any of these meetings.

January meeting: Remember in January we will have a Foundation meeting, seat new board members, elect officers and assign committees for 2017.

7.F.2. Finance/Budget/Legislation committee

Agenda Item Type:
Information Item

7.F.3. Transportation/Facilities/Grounds committee

Agenda Item Type:
Information Item

7.F.4. Curriculum/Activities/Staff Development committee

Agenda Item Type:
Information Item

7.F.5. Americanism committee

Agenda Item Type:
Information Item

7.F.6. Negotiations committee

Agenda Item Type:
Information Item

8. Adjourn

Agenda Item Type:
Information Item

Action(s):

Motion Passed:

Motion to adjourn at 8:59. Passed with a motion by Sandy Noffsinger and a second by Kevin League.